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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · mate · press · wake · fine · pass · cell · deal

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mate — to breed
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fine — all right
  13. kid — to tease
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wake — a trail
  16. kid — child
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mate — a friend
  19. press — to push
  20. pass — a permit
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com